Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-12
Duty ia Politics.

Moral obligation must govern votes and
parties. or the Republic cannot thrive.
Thanks to President Cleveland, it is be-
coming clearer every day, to citizens who
seek to do their duty and are not blinded
by partisan prejudice. what duty requires.
Confidence in the future of the Republic,
faith in the fitness of the people for self
government, do not imply that all citizens
will be clear-eyed in the perception of
right and wrong. or wholly unbiased by
partisanship in their judgment. Certain
voters are blindly and passionately dem
ocats; certain others are republicans
through early influences. surroundings,
preiudices or selfish interests. But be-
tween these bodies of voters, whose YER
dict is not governed by deliberate judg-
ment or conscientious convictions, there
is vast body OF citizens who are demo-
Gratis or republicans only because they
honestly seek to do right and to serve
their country faithfully. President Cleve-
land is making it easy for these voters to
decide which party to support.
These men feel that it is duty so to
vote that honest and reputable persons
shall be elevated to places of trust and
honor. But they see that men who are
not honest men who are law-breakers and
plunderers. men who are utterly disrepu-
table, constituencies and shameless, have
in too many instances been chosen for
places of trust and honor under the demo-
cratic party. Subtleties about Civil Ser
vice Reform do not confuse them they
comprehend that no other party for more
than quarter of century has so grossly
affronted public sentiment and the public
conscience, by choosing dishonorable and
disreputable men for office, as the demo-
cratic party under President Cleveland,
These men feel that the country is on
the downward road when its ruling party
seeks spoils and not principles, when its
government means office holding, and not
faithful effort to promote public welfare
by wise measures. For years they have
seen the democratic party tried, and they
know how little principle it has. how
openly it falsfies its record in order to get
office, how unscrupulousy many of its of
fcials serve party and self, avoiding every
effort for the public good that may cost
them votes.
These citizens know that it is the duty
of their government to promote homes:
trade and productive industry instead OF
speculation. But they have seen within
the past two years the widest riot OF
speculation deliberately fostered by in
flation of the currency, in order help
democratic candidates in elections. They
have seen industries hampered and
hindered by crazy speculation, and not
less by partisan agitation for free trade.
Business interests and moral convictions
pull the same way here; party that
promotes gambling instead of business
undermines at once the public prosperity
and the public morals These citizens
realize that it is the duty of government
to defend and build up industries, so
the better conditions and larger rewards
may be secured for the millions who labor.
If this were done at large public sacrifice,
it would still be high and sacred duty to
uplift, as far as the government can With
in the limits of its constitutional power,
the millions who have least power to
elevate or defend themselves. But the
national policy which defends home in
dustry no longer costs sacrifice; the time
has come when yearly returns, through
development of resources and increase OF
production, more than repay all the
sacrifices which defence of labor involves.
Interest and duty thus unite in requiring
a maintenance of the republican policy
which for many years the democratic party
has not ceased to assail.-N Y. Tribune